8 miles Hot and sunny
The walk through meadows was very pleasant and we passed by West Green Farm, Plum Tree Farm and then West Cliff Farm where we paused to watch the antics of peacocks, who obviously have free range of the farm.
We continue along the trail passing Blackmires Farm and its herd of British White Cattle, an old breed dating back to the 17th century.
Our next farm was Stormy Hall and here we turned right onto a steep farm track leading us up to Castelton Rigg. We paused occasionally to look back at superb views of Danby Dale. As we climbed we were harrased by a pair of lapwings who swooped back and forth over us, we were probably near their chicks.
This moorland walk that visits the secluded village of Westerdale is not a Tom Scott Burns walk but is across an area he will have known well.
We approached Castleton from the Whitby Moors road and parked our cars at a designated parking spot just outside the village as shown on the map below.
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| Today's walk - we parked at the parking place shown outside Castelton |
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| View from our car park |
Castleton takes its name from the castle which stood on Castle Hill from 1089 to the 15th century, and is situated along the end of Castleton Rigg, an outcrop of Danby Moor.
Leaving the car we walked straight downhill towards Castleton, after a couple of hundred yards we turned right, shortly after passing a small Quaker graveyard, at a sign for Didderhowe Farm.
We walked down the farm track, past the farmhouse and into open fields.
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| Turn right down this farm track |
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| Looking back at Didderhowe Farm |
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| The Esk Valley Walk sign |
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| Walking through meadows |
We were now walking through Danby Dale along the Esk Valley Walk and following its clear way marks always bearing the image of a fish.
After Didderhowe Farm we entered meadows and for the next mile or so walked along the bottom of the dale, alongside Danby Beck, passing several farms.
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| Relaxing among the buttercups |
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| West Green Farm |
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| Dog weather vane at West Green Farm |
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| West Green Fram |
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| Plum Tree Farm |
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| Danby Church in the distance |
We could see St Hilda's Church on the other side of Danby Beck but there was no point in diverting as we knew it would be locked because of the virus.
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| Boardwalk over a marshy bit |
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| The beautiful Esk Valley Walk |
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| West Cliff Farm |
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| Flight to the roof |
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| Walking through Blackmires Farm |
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| Tidy Blackmires Farm |
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| British White Cattle |
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| The Gaffer |
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| Too much make-up |
Our next farm was Stormy Hall and here we turned right onto a steep farm track leading us up to Castelton Rigg. We paused occasionally to look back at superb views of Danby Dale. As we climbed we were harrased by a pair of lapwings who swooped back and forth over us, we were probably near their chicks.
Just before reaching the top of our climb we stopped for coffee and scones at a disused quarry, giving us shelter from the breeze and a fine view back down Danby Dale.
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| Turn right and follow the road uphill |
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| Stormy Hall |
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| We are warned off by... |
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| ...Lapwings |
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| Looking back, Danby in the distance |
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| Time for coffee and scones |
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| Danby Head |
Refreshments over we crossed the main road to follow a footpath across Castleton Rigg. Here we paused again to take in the fine view into a new valley and to pick out our two immediate objectives, Dale Head and Broad Gate Farms.
Dale Head Farm is beautifully kept and home to an unusual feature built in 1832, a stone shelter for bee skeps. In the old days bees were kept in a straw skep and by placing them in the stone shelter they would stay dry in bad weather.
We turned right just beyond the Bee House and walked across several more fields to cross Tower Beck and reach Broad Gate Farm. We followed the farm track and passed through a tiny stile set in the wall, crossing a field to reach a seven step stone stile which required concentration to climb over.
Across a field and over another step stile and we were entering the tiny village of Westerdale. We walked along the street and stopped to admire Christ Church from the road, a sign prohibited entry to the graveyard.
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| Descending towards Dale Head Farm |
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| Dale Head Farm |
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| Shelter for bee skeps |
Dale Head Farm is beautifully kept and home to an unusual feature built in 1832, a stone shelter for bee skeps. In the old days bees were kept in a straw skep and by placing them in the stone shelter they would stay dry in bad weather.
We turned right just beyond the Bee House and walked across several more fields to cross Tower Beck and reach Broad Gate Farm. We followed the farm track and passed through a tiny stile set in the wall, crossing a field to reach a seven step stone stile which required concentration to climb over.
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| Crossing Tower Beck |
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| Broad Gate Farm |
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| Weather vane at Broad Gate Farm |
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| 7 step stone stiles |
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| This one gates off to stop sheep climbing over |
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| Arriving at Westerdale |
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| Unusual figure seen as we enter the village |
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| These three honeysuckle bushes smelled very nice |
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| Christ Church from the road |
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| The old Smithy, now a private house |
Leaving the village we followed the road down to the River Esk where we stopped to look at its ancient bridge, Hunter's Sty Bridge, restored in the 1800s.
This bridge is a single span medieval bridge which was restored by the Duncombe family in 1874. It dates from the 13th century and Hunter's Sty means Hunter's Steep Path, and was built to provide access to the Royal Forest of Pickering.
We crossed the village cricket field and climbed through several rough and un-waymarked pastures to reach the moor where we rejoined the Esk Valley Walk. We stopped to watch a pair of curlews and could see that when on the ground they had their beaks open, presumably because of the heat.
My watch told me the temperature was now 25 degrees. I was be-hatted but Clive had to resort to covering his head with an old t-shirt.
We dropped down from Westerdale Moor to cross an un-named spring near Carr House. We crossed New Road and climbed back up to the car park on the Westerdale road and the end of our walk.
This is a lovely walk for a summer's day and is simple to navigate.
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| Hunter's Sty Bridge |
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| Curlew |
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| Hot curlew |
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| Westerdale Moor, above Dale View Farm |
My watch told me the temperature was now 25 degrees. I was be-hatted but Clive had to resort to covering his head with an old t-shirt.
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| "Tell yer fortune, sir?" |
We dropped down from Westerdale Moor to cross an un-named spring near Carr House. We crossed New Road and climbed back up to the car park on the Westerdale road and the end of our walk.
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| Dropping down from Westerdale Moor |
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| Cross the bridge... |
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| ... and return to the car park |
This is a lovely walk for a summer's day and is simple to navigate.
